Railroad-crossing.



J. B. DUNLAP. RAILROAD GROSSING.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. '7, 1910.l

Patented Aug. 15, 191.1.

s MII/ENTI? IVESSES:

(Xos-PH JOSEPH 1B. DUNLAP, lOF TULSA, OKLAHOMA.

RAILROAD-CROSSING.

ispeciclation of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 15, 1911.

Application filed September 7, 1910. Serial' No. 580,801.

ments herein described and claimed.

An object of myvinvention is to provide a crossing which obviates the usual jars incident to the passage of a train overthe crossingf I accomplish this object/by providing movable track sections, which may beso vmoved as to completey the track in either direction, so that the tread ofthe wheels maymove on a continuous bearing surface. y

A further objectof my invention is to provide a crossing of the kind indicated in' which there are two setsof movable track sections so located that when one set is in use to provide a continuous track, the other set may be retracted. l

A further 'object ofV my .invention is to provide simple means for accomplishing' the objects named.

. Other objects and advantages will appear in theA following 'Specification and the novel features of the device will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated.- in the accompanying drawings, forming partof this application in which* y Figurel is a plan view showing one embodiment of my invention, Fig. 2 is a side view of one of the slidable guide bars, F ig. 3 is an enlarged section along the lineS-S of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, and Fig'fl shows an end view of acam plate and of a retaining plate.

In carrying out my invention, I provide the ordinary track rails, such as those shown at 1 and 2 at the right of Fig. l. These track rails abut, and are secured to, corner rails la and 2a respectively by means oiE the fish plates 3. The construction of the corner rail formsone of the main features of my invention. As will be seen from Fig. l,

it is bent outwardly at a; at a slightangle. At .1/ 1 t is bent again at a greater angle, and at e 1t is bent `once more. The opposite ends of the corner rail la, therefore, serve as portionsof both crossing tracks. The inner base flange of the rail la is cut away between the points '1.0 and U and at these` latter points the flange has a beveled or inc lined surface. The rail 2 on the opposite side is similarly bent at the points 2X, 2y and 2z, and is provided with similar beveled flange portions 2W and 2V. members 3 and 4a are formedin precisely the same manner.

In order to form a support for the corner rail members and for the slidable rail sections, I provide a plate 4.-, which is made, preferably, of steel, or other suitable material. This plate is provided with a rectangular opening 5 at its center. The corner rail members la, 2a, 3a and 4a are secured to this plate in any suitable manner, the ends of the Lshaped corner' members resting upon, and being secured to, the ties 6.

The corner rail' At the points c, 3", 3W and 4W, are disposed cam plates 7 of the shape shown in Figs. l and 4. These plates consist of a base 7*L and an upright portion 7", the latter constituting the cam member, as will be hereinafter' explained. vThese plates are riveted `to the base plate 4 and incline inwardly toward the center of the crossing as shown. At the inner ends of each of the plates 7 are secured the Z-shaped retaining plates 8,

which consist of a base port-ion8a and a raised flange 8b. Between the retaining members 8 are guide members 9, which are also riveted to the plate.

In alinenient with the guide member 9, on one track, are similar guide members 10, which are secured to the ties 6. The shape vof theseguides is clearly shown in Fig. 3.

Arranged to slide in the guides is a T- shaped bar 11, such as that shown in Fig. 2,

whose lower .side is provided for a portion of its length with rackteet-h 12, arranged to engage a pinion lf3 on a shaft 14. Thisshaft 14 is supported on-a plate 15 in beai'-,

ings 1G, andis provided at its end with a l sprocket wheel 17 arranged-to be actuated by a chain 18, which runs to a switchtower, or other convenient operating place, not

shown. The' bar 11 is perforated along its top at 19 to permit the pivotal attachment of the links 20. The. outer end of these links is pivotally att-ached to the inner' anges 21a of the movable rail sections 21.

A spring 22 is provided between each of the movable rail sections and the bar 11.

'At the points w and 3W the rail is beveled slightly toward its center, while from the points y and 3y it is beveled at a greater angle toward the outer side of the rail. All

the other movable rail sections are similarly constructed.

From the foregoing description of the Various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. Let us consider the effect of the movement of theV entering the guide 9. 4The point 3W of the right-hand rail member would strike the flange 7b of the cam 7, while the point 4W would st-rike the cam of the opposite. side of the track. Continued pressure would force the movable rail sections 21- apart, and since they are .connected by the parallel links 20, the sections would finally spread so as to complete the track. This is precisely what has happened in the caseof the crossing track. It will be noted that AAthe slidable sections, which have been carried forwardly by the bar 11, have been forced against the corners of the bent corner rail sections, in such a manner as to make a continuous track at the crossing. It is, of course, understood that the, bar 11a is equipped with the actuating apparatus, such as that shown at the right-hand side of the figure for the other track. When the chain is rotated in the opposite direction, the bar will return to its original position and the springs 22 will draw the movable tracks intotheir inoperative position. It will thus be seen that either track can be made continuous from the switch tower by the operation just described. In order to prevent the track sections from moving, and in order to give. them a firmer backing the retaining flanges 8 are provided, which, as shown in the figure, allow the outer iiange members 'of the movable rail sections to enter underneath, thereby retaining the rails in a fixed position. In the figure I have shown thel bar 11 pushed forward, so as to make its track continuous, This bar may be withdrawn, as stated, and the bar V11 may bepushed forward, so as to makeits track convplurality of corner rails, each comprising a 'tinuousl When the latter is pushed forward the end of the movable track section indicated by w will then abut the beveled portion of the flange of the corner rail at fw,',f while on the other side the point 3W will" abut the point 3W.

I do not confine myself to any particular dimensions, since it is` obvious that the dimensions may vary. In order to provide for an adjustment of the movable track sections 21, I use a pluralityof holes 19 in the l b ar .11 soY as to connect the links'20 at any desired position along thel bar.

I claim:

1. In a railway crossing construction,` bent corner rails, a pair of slidable rail sections disposed between the rails ofeach track, and means for sliding each pair of rail sections to bridge the gap between the oppositecorner rails, thereby providing a continuousl crossing.

2'. In 'a railway crossing construction, four bent corner rails, a pair of slidable rail f sections disposed between the rails on each track, .a slidable bar, means pivotally s'e- 90 curing said slidable rail sections to said bar, I

andjcam members disposed near the cross ring and adapted to be engaged by said slid` i able rail sections for forcing the'latter into alinement with the main rail. i

8. In' arailway crossing construction,- 'a pair of movable rail sectionsdisposed between the rails, on each track, a slidable bar disposed centrally between the rails ofeachf track, a pair of parallel links between eacliloo.

movable rail section and the bar, a cam plate i Aon each side of the track, and-.means for v moving said `bar between said cam plates, the ends of said movablerail sections being arranged to engagesaid camv platesfthereby forcing the movable rail sections apart and into engagement with the corner'rail mem-'"'-f y l bers. .4. In a railway crossing construction, a

single rail bent outwardly at its center and outwardly on each side 'of its central .por-. tion, and having ,thelange onjtlie .outside of the bend cut aiwa'y `from the-angle of tha-.5

central bend to the angle of the sidebeiids,fin5 v a supporting body plate'for said corner rail members, a -pair of movable rail .sections having beveled ends arranged. to t in the". cut away portions of oppositeI corner -rails to7 bridge the gap therebetween, means forj` moving the rail sections -into engagement f with opposite corner sections, and means fori maintaining parallel positions of the mov?. able rail sections at all times. Y Y' 5. In a railway crossing construction, foui- 125- corner rail members, a pair of guide members secured between thrails of each track,V a slidablebai' carried by\each sidejof saifdj.V

guide members, a pairof nvable rail se f' tions on each side ofsaidnbar, a pair o parallel links pivotally connecting each of cam plates adapted to be engaged/by the said movable rail sections with said bar, the ends of said movable rail sections. for forclower side of saidbar being provided with ing the latter outwardly. teeth, a pinion in envagementwith the teeth JOSEPH B. DUN LAP;

5 of said bar, means ir rotating said pinion, VitnesSes:

a spring connecting each of said movable L. A. STANLEY, track members with said bar, and a pair of SoLoN C. KEMON.

Copies of this patent may`be obtained for five cents eaeh, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, 1). C. A 

